History at All Saints Primary School

 

‘The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.’

Theodore Roosevelt

 

 

At All Saints school we want children to be historians. We aim for it to inspire children’s curiosity about the past and to develop their understanding of key events. Our intent is that our teaching of History will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.

 

We aim to enable children to ask perceptive questions, think critically and evaluate sources. It is important for children to develop a sense of identity through learning about the past and we want them to know how history has shaped their own lives. This is why we have ensured that children learn about history in our local area.

 

Our Curriculum & How We Teach

  • Enquiry-Based Learning: History is taught through focused units organised into a 3-year cycle for our mixed-age classes, ensuring full coverage of National Curriculum objectives.
  • Kapow Primary Scheme: We use the Kapow Primary History scheme to deliver sequential progression, balancing factual knowledge (dates, figures, events) with disciplinary skills like questioning evidence and understanding cause and consequence.
  • Knowledge Organisers & 'Big Questions': Each topic features a Knowledge Organiser and thought-provoking 'Big Questions' linked to our Christian Values, encouraging children to wonder, reflect, and think deeply.
  • The History Skills Hexagon: We use a child-friendly Skills Hexagon across KS1, LKS2, and UKS2 so children can track their development as historians.

 

What Your Child Will Learn Across Key Stages

  • Early Years (EYFS): Children begin by exploring their immediate world—discovering past and present events in their own lives, their families, and looking at old and new through stories, rhymes, and photographs.
  • Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2): Pupils learn about changes within living memory, significant national or global events (such as the Great Fire of London), local history, and the lives of key historical figures.
  • Key Stage 2 (Years 3–6): Learning progresses chronologically through British history from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings, alongside a local history study. Children also explore Ancient Civilizations (such as Ancient Egypt or Sumer), Ancient Greece, and contrasting non-European societies.

History for Every Child (Inclusion & Support)

We hold high expectations for all pupils and use adaptive teaching strategies rather than lowering expectations. Teachers support learning through visual timelines, key vocabulary mats, multi-sensory approaches, and hands-on artefact handling, ensuring pupils with SEND or EAL can access complex historical concepts alongside their peers.

Developing Wider Life Skills

Through our history curriculum, children develop essential life skills:

  • Oracy & Discussion: Debating historical points, justifying opinions, and using subject-specific vocabulary confidently.
  • Critical Thinking: Examining historical evidence, identifying bias, and evaluating different perspectives.
  • Digital Literacy: Using digital timelines and researching online historical sources.
  • British Values & Sustainability: Exploring human rights, social responsibility, democracy, and how societies have responded to major challenges over time.

Our ultimate goal is to nurture passionate, articulate historians who understand chronology, evidence, and how past decisions shape our present and future